When will this bitterly cold weather end? It's almost April and officially spring, so why does it still feel like winter. I was gazing longingly at my shorts, short sleeved jerseys and track mitts the other day but today is certainly not a day to wear them. So its back on with the winter tights, thermals, wind-stopper tops, over shoes, skull cap and gloves before we head for the hills of North Dorset.
Our route takes us from home out past hurn to ringwood and on to Fordingbridge. From here we head out to Cranborne and on to Sixpenny Handley. It sounds really easy when you type it but a couple of good climbs along the way including the Cat 4 climb on the B3801 out of Sixpenny Handley a 1.7 mile drag that averages around 4%. However, a wrong turn and our life is about to get harder we should have known what was coming as we enjoyed a tricky and exhilarating descent.
Yes you guessed it we were face with a monster climb out of the valley this time a 7.5% average and 40 miles into the ride. It hurt all the more for knowing we had planned to turn off for the Airfield at Compton Abbas which was a flattish ride along the ridge, who would have thought that one turn too early could hurt so much! Any way a good point for much needed refreshment before heading onto Blandford and a comfort break and then onto home via Wimborne.
Once again an enjoyable ride even though our feet were frozen and it was our longest ride to date.
Hopefully or next blog will see us riding in slightly less arctic conditions. It's the Coastlet on 7 April the first of our Challenges a 100k ride from Wareham to Weymouth and back it comes complete with some quite lumpy bits (hills)!
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